tech
March 9, 2026
INTELLIGENCE TEST
Such messages do not activate the parts of the brain that analyze numbers, but the brain treats them as poorly written letters.
TL;DR
- '1337' means 'elite' or 'leaving' and describes someone with high computer and gaming performance.
- Leet speak originated in the 1980s with hackers wanting to obscure their online communication and websites.
- The brain interprets leet speak characters as poorly written letters, not numbers, due to reading expectations and tolerance for irregularities.
- The 'Cult of the Dead Cow' hacker group popularized the use of 'leet' or '1337' to bypass censorship programs.
- Modern leet speak is often a trademark of serious internet gamers and technically knowledgeable individuals.
- Younger people accustomed to diverse writing styles find leet speak easier to read than older generations.
Continue reading the original article